Mobile terminal, operating method thereof, and refrigerator

ABSTRACT

A mobile terminal, an operating method thereof, and a refrigerator are disclosed. The operating method of the mobile terminal includes receiving state information of the refrigerator from the refrigerator, displaying the state information of the refrigerator on a screen, and transmitting a control signal based on a control operation to the refrigerator. Therefore, it is possible to readily control the refrigerator using the mobile terminal.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of Korean Application No.10-2009-0041006, filed on May 11, 2009, in the Korean IntellectualProperty Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein byreference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a mobile terminal which is capable ofreadily controlling a refrigerator, an operating method thereof, and arefrigerator.

2. Description of the Related Art

Recently, home network technologies have been developed. A home networksignifies a network in which a variety of home appliances areinterconnected to enable the user to enjoy a convenient, safe andeconomical life service at any time inside and outside of a home. Withthe advance of digital signal processing technologies, refrigerators,washing machines, etc. have been gradually digitized, home applianceoperating system technologies and high-speed multimedia communicationtechnologies have been intensively deployed on digital home appliances,and a new type of information home appliance has appeared. Therefore,the home network has been developed still further.

A home network system constructed in a home includes a master devicethat is an electric appliance capable of controlling the operation ofeach home appliance or monitoring the state thereof, and one or morehome appliances each having a function of responding to a request fromthe master device and a function of notifying information about avariation in the state thereof

However, the construction of the above-mentioned home network system hasthe inconvenience of having to separately provide a separate masterdevice which is capable of controlling the operation of each homeappliance or monitoring the state thereof.

Moreover, in the case where a home appliance is a refrigerator, in orderto know which foods there is a shortage of in the refrigerator at anyplace or time, there is a need to display state information of therefrigerator including kinds and freshness degrees of foods stored inthe refrigerator using a mobile terminal.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the aboveproblems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide amobile terminal which is capable of readily controlling a refrigerator,an operating method thereof, and a refrigerator.

In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, the above andother objects can be accomplished by the provision of an operatingmethod of a mobile terminal including receiving state information of arefrigerator from the refrigerator, displaying the state information ofthe refrigerator on a screen, and transmitting a control signal based ona control operation to the refrigerator.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a mobile terminal for controlling a refrigerator, the mobileterminal including a wireless communication unit fortransmitting/receiving data to/from the refrigerator, a controller forgenerating information about foods stored in the refrigerator based onstate information of the refrigerator received from the refrigerator,and a display unit for displaying a menu picture including arefrigerator management menu, and displaying the generated foodinformation on a screen when a food management item in the refrigeratormanagement menu is selected.

In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a refrigerator including a display unit for displaying anoperating state of the refrigerator, a wireless communication unit fortransmitting/receiving data to/from a mobile terminal, and a controllerfor controlling the wireless communication unit to transmit informationabout foods stored in the refrigerator to the mobile terminal.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects, features and other advantages of thepresent invention will be more clearly understood from the followingdetailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a mobile terminal according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of a mobile terminal according to oneembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the mobile terminal shown in FIG.2;

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating a method for displaying informationabout foods stored in a refrigerator using a mobile terminal, accordingto one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating a method for monitoring arefrigerator using a mobile terminal, according to one embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIGS. 6 to 16 are screen diagrams illustrating exemplary embodiments ofthe present invention;

FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing the outer appearance of arefrigerator according to an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention; and

FIG. 18 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of therefrigerator of FIG. 17.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of thepresent invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be usedthroughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts. It is to benoted that the suffixes of constituent elements used in the followingdescription, such as “module” and “unit”, are simply used by consideringthe ease of writing this specification, but do not have any particularimportance or role. Accordingly, the terms “module” and “unit” can beused interchangeably.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a mobile terminal according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a mobile terminal 100 according to the presentinvention may include a wireless communication unit 110, an audio/video(A/V) input unit 120, a manipulating unit 130, a sensing unit 140, anoutput unit 150, a storage unit 160, an interface unit 170, a controller180, and a power supply 190. If necessary, when implemented in actualapplications, two or more of these constituent elements may be combinedinto one constituent element or one thereof may be subdivided into twoor more constituent elements.

The wireless communication unit 110 may include a mobile communicationmodule 111, a wireless Internet module 113, a short-range communicationmodule 115, and a global position system (GPS) module 117. radio signalsto/from at least one of a base station, an external terminal and aserver over a mobile communication network. The radio signals mayinclude a voice call signal, a video telephony call signal or variousforms of data based on text/multimedia message transmission/reception.

The wireless Internet module 113 refers to a module for wirelessInternet access. This module may be installed inside or outside of themobile terminal 100.

When a service call menu item is selected, the wireless Internet module113 may make a connection to a service center and transmit refrigeratordiagnosis data to the service center.

The short-range communication module 115 refers to a module forshort-range communication. For example, short-range communicationtechnologies may include Bluetooth, radio frequency identification(RFID), infrared data association (IrDA), ultra wideband (UWB), andZigBee.

Also, the short-range communication module 115 may transmit/receive datato/from a refrigerator using, for example, Bluetooth. In detail, theshort-range communication module 115 may receive state information ofthe refrigerator. The state information of the refrigerator may includeat least one of food information, an expiration date of a food, astorage period of the food, a freezing chamber temperature, arefrigerating chamber temperature, an outdoor air temperature, dooropening/closing information, operation diagnosis information, and anerror content.

The global position system (GPS) module 117 receives locationinformation from a plurality of GPS satellites.

The A/V input unit 120 is configured to input an audio signal or videosignal. The A/V input unit 120 may include a camera module 121 and amicrophone module 123. The camera module 121 processes frames of a stillimage or moving image acquired by an image sensor in a video call modeor image capture mode. The processed image frames may be displayed on adisplay unit 151.

The image frames processed by the camera module 121 may be stored in thestorage unit 160 or externally transmitted via the wirelesscommunication unit 110. Two or more camera modules 121 may be provideddepending on embodiments of the configuration of the terminal.

Also, if the user captures an image of a food to be stored in arefrigerator through the camera module 121, the mobile terminal 100 maystore the captured image in the storage unit 160. Also, the mobileterminal 100 may set and store information about the food, for example,a storage date, an expiration date, etc.

The microphone module 123 receives an external sound signal through amicrophone in a call mode, a recording mode, a voice recognition mode,or the like and processes the received sound signal to convert it intoelectrical audio data. In the call mode, the converted audio data may beconverted into that of a format transmittable to a mobile communicationbase station through the mobile communication module 111 and thenoutputted to the mobile communication base station. Various noiseremoval algorithms may be employed in the microphone module 123 toremove noise generated in the course of receiving the external soundsignal.

The manipulating unit 130 generates key input data that the user inputsto control the operation of the terminal. The manipulating unit 130 mayinclude a key pad, a dome switch, a touch pad (staticpressure/capacitance), a jog wheel, a jog switch, and a finger mouse. Inparticular, the touch pad and the display unit 151 to be described latermay constitute a layered structure, which may be called a touch screen.

The sensing unit 140 senses the current state of the mobile terminal100, such as the open/closed state of the mobile terminal 100, thelocation of the mobile terminal 100 or the presence or absence of usercontact with the mobile terminal 100, and generates a sense signal forcontrol of the operation of the mobile terminal 100 as a result of thesensing. For example, in the case where the mobile terminal 100 is aslide phone, the sensing unit 140 may sense whether the slide phone isopen or closed. Also, the sensing unit 140 may perform a sensingfunction associated with whether the power supply 190 supplies power orwhether the interface unit 170 is coupled with an external device.

The output unit 150 is provided to output an audio signal, a videosignal or an alarm signal. To this end, the output unit 150 may includethe display unit 151, an audio output module 153, and an alarm outputmodule 155.

The display unit 151 displays and outputs information processed in themobile terminal 100. For example, when the mobile terminal 100 is in thecall mode, the display unit 151 may display a user interface (UI) orgraphic user interface (GUI) associated with a call. When the mobileterminal 100 is in the video call mode or image capture mode, thedisplay unit 151 may display captured or received images, respectivelyor simultaneously, and also displays a UI or GUI.

Also, the display unit 151 displays state information of a refrigeratoron a screen. In detail, for the display of the state information of therefrigerator, the display unit 151 may display a menu picture includinga refrigerator management menu having a plurality of items and, when anyone of the refrigerator management menu items is selected, display apicture corresponding to the selected refrigerator management menu item.

For example, in the case where a food management item is selected, thedisplay unit 151 may arrange and display a plurality of foods in theorder of expiration dates or storage periods thereof. Also, the displayunit 151 may arrange and display a plurality of foods according to kindsthereof. Also, the display unit 151, when any one of foods stored in therefrigerator is selected, may display at least one of an image, name,current date, storage date, elapsed period, expiration date and barcodeinformation of the selected food.

For example, the display unit 151 may display a list of periods in afirst area and display images of one or more foods corresponding to aselected period in the period list in a second area. Also, in the casewhere any one of the images of the one or more foods displayed in thesecond area is selected, the display unit 151 may display the selectedfood image and information about a corresponding food. The foodinformation may include one or more of a name, current date, storagedate, elapsed period, expiration date and barcode information. On theother hand, the display unit 151 may display a list of food kinds in thefirst area and display images of one or more foods corresponding to aselected food kind in the food kind list in the second area.

On the other hand, in the case where a monitoring item is selected, thedisplay unit 151 may display one or more of freezing chamber temperatureinformation, refrigerating chamber temperature information, outdoor airtemperature information, door opening/closing information, operationdiagnosis information, error content information and a service callitem. At this time, if the service call item is selected, the displayunit 151 may display a service center connection state picture.Meanwhile, in the case where a software upgrade item is selected, thedisplay unit 151 may display a software upgrade progress picture.

The audio output module 153 outputs audio data received from thewireless communication unit 110 or stored in the storage unit 160 in acall signal reception mode, a call mode, a recording mode, a voicerecognition mode, a broadcast reception mode, or the like. The audiooutput module 153 also outputs sound signals related to particularfunctions performed by the mobile terminal 100, for example, a callsignal reception sound, a message reception sound, etc. This audiooutput module 153 may include a speaker and a buzzer.

The alarm output module 155 outputs a signal to notify the user ofoccurrence of an event in the mobile terminal 100. The event occurringin the mobile terminal 100 may be, for example, call signal reception,message reception or key signal input. The alarm output module 155 mayalso output a signal in any form other than an audio signal or videosignal to notify the user of occurrence of an event in the mobileterminal 100. For example, the alarm output module 155 may output asignal in the form of a vibration. When a call signal is received orwhen a message is received, the alarm output module 155 may output avibration to notify the user of such a situation. Alternatively, when akey signal is inputted, the alarm output module 155 may output avibration as a feedback for the key signal input. This vibration outputmay enable the user to recognize occurrence of an event. Of course, thesignal for event occurrence notification may also be outputted throughthe display unit 151 or audio output module 153.

The storage unit 160 may store programs for processing and control ofthe controller 180 and may also function to temporarily storeinput/output data.

The storage unit 160 may include at least one type of storage mediaincluding a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card microtype, a card type memory (for example, an SD or XD memory), a randomaccess memory (RAM), and a read-only memory (ROM). The mobile terminal100 may also manage a Web storage that performs the storage function ofthe storage unit 160 on the Internet.

The interface unit 170 acts as an interface between the mobile terminal100 and all external devices connected to the mobile terminal 100. Theexternal devices connected to the mobile terminal 100 may include, forexample, a wired/wireless headset, an external charger, a wired/wirelessdata port, a memory card socket, a SIM/UIM card socket, an audioinput/output (I/O) terminal, a video I/O terminal, and an earphone. Theinterface unit 170 may receive data transmitted from the externaldevices and transfer the received data or power to each internalcomponent of the mobile terminal 100 or transmit internal data of themobile terminal 100 to the external devices.

The controller 180 typically controls the operation of each of theabove-stated components of the mobile terminal 100, so as to control theoverall operation of the mobile terminal 100. For example, thecontroller 180 may perform control and processing associated with avoice call, data communication, and a video call.

Also, the controller 180, when any one item in a refrigerator managementmenu is selected, controls the display unit 151 to display a picturecorresponding to the selected item. Here, the refrigerator managementmenu may include at least one of a food management item, a monitoringitem, a software upgrade item and a remote control item.

For example, in the case where the food management item is selected, thecontroller 180 may control the display unit 151 to arrange and display aplurality of foods in the order of expiration dates or storage periodsthereof. Also, the controller 180 may control the display unit 151 toarrange and display a plurality of foods according to kinds thereof.When any one of foods stored in a refrigerator is selected, thecontroller 180 may control the display unit 151 to display at least oneof an image, name, current date, storage date, elapsed period,expiration date and barcode information of the selected food.

Also, the controller 180 may control the display unit 151 to display alist of periods in a first area of a refrigerator state picture, whichdisplays information about the foods stored in the refrigerator, anddisplay images of one or more foods corresponding to a selected periodin the period list in a second area of the refrigerator state picture.

Also, in the case where any one of the images of the one or more foodsdisplayed in the second area is selected, the controller 180 may controlthe display unit 151 to display the selected food image and informationabout a corresponding food. Here, the food information may include oneor more of a name, current date, storage date, elapsed period,expiration date and barcode information.

Also, in the case where the monitoring item is selected, the controller180 may control the display unit 151 to display one or more of freezingchamber temperature information, refrigerating chamber temperatureinformation, outdoor air temperature information, door opening/closinginformation, operation diagnosis information, error content informationand a service call item.

At this time, if the service call item is selected, the controller 180may make a connection to a service center server and transmitrefrigerator diagnosis data to the service center server. Also, in thiscase, the controller 180 may control the display unit 251 to display aservice center connection state picture.

Also, in the case where the software upgrade item is selected, thecontroller 180 may control the display unit 151 to display a softwareupgrade progress picture. Also, the controller 180 may transmit andupload upgraded software to the refrigerator.

Also, in the case where the remote control item is selected, thecontroller 180 may transmit a refrigerator control signal inputted bythe user to the refrigerator.

In this case, when the remote control item is selected, the controller180 may display a refrigerator remote control picture through thedisplay unit 151 and, when any one of refrigerator control itemsdisplayed in the remote control picture is selected, transmit acorresponding refrigerator control signal to the refrigerator.

The power supply 190, under the control of the controller 180, receivesexternal power or internal power and supplies power necessary for theoperation of each constituent element.

The constituent elements of the mobile terminal related to the presentinvention have been described in terms of the functionality of themobile terminal. Hereinafter, the constituent elements of the mobileterminal related to the present invention will be described in detail interms of the outer appearance of the mobile terminal with reference toFIGS. 2 and 3. For convenience of description, in the followingdescription, it will be assumed that the mobile terminal is a mobileterminal of a bar type including a front touch screen, among mobileterminals of various types including a folder type, the bar type, aswing type and a slide type. However, it will be understood that thepresent invention is not limited to the bar type mobile terminal, butmay be applied to mobile terminals of all types including theaforementioned types.

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of a mobile terminal according to oneembodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 2, a caseconstituting the outer appearance of the mobile terminal 100 is formedby a front case and a rear case. A variety of electronic components arebuilt in a space defined by the front case and the rear case. At leastone intermediate case may be additionally disposed between the frontcase and the rear case.

The display unit 151, a first audio output module 153 a, a first cameramodule 121 a, and a first manipulating unit 130 a may be disposed in abody, more particularly the front case. A second manipulating unit 130b, a third manipulating unit 130 c, and the microphone module 123 may bedisposed on side surfaces of the rear case.

The display unit 151 may include a liquid crystal display (LCD), anorganic light emitting diode (OLED) display, or the like to visuallyexpress information. A touch pad may be overlaid on the display unit 151in a layered manner, so that the display unit 151 may operate as a touchscreen to enable the input of information by the user's touch.

The first audio output module 153 a may be implemented in the form of areceiver or speaker. The first camera module 121 a may be implementedappropriately to capture an image of the user or the like or a movingimage. The microphone module 123 may be implemented in an appropriateform to input the user's voice or other sounds.

The first to third manipulating units 130 a, 130 b and 130 c may becollectively referred to as a ‘manipulating portion’, which is themanipulating unit 130, and may adopt any method as long as it has atactile manner that allows the user to manipulate the manipulating units130 a, 130 b and 130 c while receiving tactile feedback.

For example, the manipulating unit 130 may be implemented with a domeswitch or touch pad that can input a command or information by theuser's pushing or touching or implemented in a wheel or jog scheme inwhich a key is rotated or in a joystick scheme. In terms offunctionality, the first manipulating unit 130 a may input commands suchas START, END and SEND, and the second manipulating unit 130 b may inputoperation mode selection, etc. The third manipulating unit 130 c mayoperate as a hot-key to activate a special function in the mobileterminal 100.

FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the mobile terminal shown in FIG.2. Referring to FIG. 3, a fourth manipulating unit 130 d, a fifthmanipulating unit 130 e, and the interface unit 170 may be disposed on aside surface of the rear case, and a second camera module 121 b may beadditionally mounted on a rear surface of the rear case.

The second camera module 121 b may have an image capturing directionsubstantially opposite to that of the first camera module 121 a and adifferent number of pixels from that of the first camera module 121 a.For example, the first camera module 121 a may have a low pixel densitynot to be too extreme to capture an image of the user's face andtransmit the captured image to another party, in the case of a videocall or the like, and the second camera module 121 b may have a highpixel density in that an image of a general subject is sometimes nottransmitted immediately after being captured.

A sixth manipulating unit 130 f may be installed around the secondcamera module 121 b. A jog wheel or the like capable of performingrotational input may be employed as the sixth manipulating unit 130 f.

A flash 125 and a mirror 126 may be additionally disposed adjacent tothe second camera module 121 b. The flash 125 irradiates light to asubject when an image of the subject is captured by the second cameramodule 121 b. The mirror 126 enables the user to see his/her face, etc.reflected thereon when intending to capture an image of himself/herselfusing the second camera module 121 b (self-portrait).

A second audio output module (not shown) may be additionally disposed inthe rear case. The second audio output module may implement a stereofunction with the first audio output module 153 a and may be used for acall in a speakerphone mode.

An antenna (not shown) for reception of broadcast signals may be furtherdisposed at one side of the rear case in addition to an antenna forcalls. The broadcast signal reception antenna may be installed to beextractable from the rear case.

The interface unit 170 acts as a passage for data exchange, etc. betweenthe mobile terminal 100 and external devices connected to the mobileterminal 100. For example, the interface unit 170 may include at leastone of a connection terminal for wired/wireless connection to anearphone, a port for short-range communication, and a power supplyterminal for supply of power to the mobile terminal 100. Also, theinterface unit 170 may include a card socket for receiving an externalcard, such as a subscriber identification module (SIM) card, a useridentity module (UIM) card or a memory card for storage of information.

The power supply 190 is mounted in the rear case to supply power to themobile terminal 100. The power supply 190 may be, for example, arechargeable battery, which may be detachably mounted in the rear casefor charging, etc.

The mobile terminal described in this specification may include, forexample, a mobile phone, a smart phone, a notebook computer, a digitalbroadcasting terminal, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portablemultimedia player (PMP), or the like.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating a method for displaying informationabout foods stored in a refrigerator using a mobile terminal, accordingto one embodiment of the present invention. Also, FIG. 6 illustrates ahome appliance selection picture according to the present invention,FIG. 7 illustrates a menu picture according to the present invention,FIG. 8 illustrates a refrigerator state picture according to the presentinvention, and FIG. 9 illustrates a food management picture according tothe present invention. Also, FIG. 10A illustrates a food image capturepicture according to the present invention, FIG. 10B illustrates aneffective term selection picture according to the present invention, andFIG. 10C illustrates a food image delete picture according to thepresent invention. Also, FIG. 11A illustrates a foods-by-storage periodspicture according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 11Billustrates a foods-by-storage periods picture according to anotherembodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 11C illustrates afoods-by-storage periods picture according to a further embodiment ofthe present invention. Also, FIG. 11D illustrates a foods-by-effectiveterms picture according to one embodiment of the present invention, andFIG. 11E illustrates a foods-by-effective terms picture according toanother embodiment of the present invention. Also, FIG. 11F illustratesan ‘expiration date approaching’ notification picture according to thepresent invention, and FIG. 11G illustrates an ‘expiration dateexceeded’ notification picture according to the present invention. Also,FIG. 12A illustrates a shopping list picture according to the presentinvention, and FIG. 12B illustrates a recommended snack list pictureaccording to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4, the mobile terminal according to the presentinvention may display a home appliance selection picture 600 includingone or more home appliance areas 602, 604, 606 and 608 shown in FIG. 6.At this time, if the user selects a specific home appliance (forexample, a refrigerator) area, namely, the home appliance area 602, themobile terminal displays an initial menu picture 700 shown in FIG. 7(S202). At this time, the initial menu picture 700 may include amonitoring item 702, a food management item 704, a software upgrade item706, and an additional function item 708. The additional function itemmay be a remote control item.

Also, the mobile terminal determines whether the food management item isselected (S204), and arranges information about foods stored in therefrigerator according to set periods if the food management item isselected (S206).

On the other hand, the mobile terminal may display a refrigerator statepicture 800 including a first area 810 for displaying a list of periods,and a second area 820 for displaying one or more food images 822, 824,826 and 828, as shown in FIG. 8 (S208).

Also, the mobile terminal determines whether any one of the food imagesin the second area 820 is selected (S210), and, if any one of the foodimages is selected, displays the selected food image and informationabout a corresponding food by displaying a food management picture 900including a food image area 902, a stored food information display area904, a barcode recognition area 906, and a delete button 908, as shownin FIG. 9 (S212).

On the other hand, the mobile terminal may capture and store images offoods stored in the refrigerator through a food image capture picture1002 shown in FIG. 10 a, select effective terms through an effectiveterm selection picture 1004 shown in FIG. 10B, and when he/she removes afood from the refrigerator, delete information about the food through afood image delete picture 1006 shown in FIG. 10C.

Also, the mobile terminal may display, for example, a firstfoods-by-storage periods picture 1012 shown in FIG. 11A, a secondfoods-by-storage periods picture 1014 shown in FIG. 11B, and a thirdfoods-by-storage periods picture 1016 shown in FIG. 11C.

Also, the mobile terminal may display, for example, a firstfoods-by-effective terms picture 1018 shown in FIG. 11D, and a secondfoods-by-effective terms picture 1020 shown in FIG. 11E.

Also, the mobile terminal may display an ‘expiration date approaching’notification picture 1022 shown in FIG. 11F, and an ‘expiration dateexceeded’ notification picture 1024 shown in FIG. 11G. Also, the mobileterminal may display a shopping list picture 1030 shown in FIG. 12A, anda recommended snack list picture 1032 shown in FIG. 12B.

FIG. 13 illustrates a software upgrade picture according to the presentinvention.

Referring to FIG. 13, when the software upgrade item is selected, themobile terminal displays a software upgrade selection picture 1130 shownin FIG. 13. At this time, if software upgrade is selected through thesoftware upgrade selection picture 1130, the mobile terminal displays asoftware upgrade progress picture (not shown). Thereafter, if thesoftware upgrade is completed, the mobile terminal displays a softwareupgrade end picture (not shown).

FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating a method for monitoring arefrigerator using a mobile terminal, according to one embodiment of thepresent invention. Also, FIG. 14 illustrates a monitoring pictureaccording to the present invention. FIG. 15 illustrates a service centerconnection state picture according to the present invention. FIG. 16illustrates a diagnosis information transmission completion pictureaccording to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5, the mobile terminal displays the initial menupicture 700 shown in FIG. 7 (S302).

Also, the mobile terminal determines whether the monitoring item isselected (S304), and displays a monitoring picture 1200 as shown in FIG.14 if the monitoring item is selected (S306). At this time, themonitoring picture 1200 may include freezing chamber temperatureinformation 1202, refrigerating chamber temperature information 1204,outdoor air temperature information 1206, freezing chamber dooropening/closing information 1208, operation diagnosis information 1210,error content information 1212 and a service call item 1214.

Also, the mobile terminal determines whether the service call item isselected (S308), and, if the service call item is selected, makes aconnection to a service center server and transmits refrigeratordiagnosis data to the service center server (S310).

On the other hand, the mobile terminal displays a service centerconnection state picture 1220 as shown in FIG. 15 (S312). Thereafter, ifthe refrigerator diagnosis data transmission is completed, the mobileterminal may display a diagnosis information transmission completionpicture 1230 as shown in FIG. 16.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing the outer appearance of arefrigerator according to an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention.

Referring to FIG. 17, a refrigerator 2000 according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention has an outer appearanceschematically formed by a case 2110 having an internal space partitionedinto a freezing chamber and a refrigerating chamber, a freezing chamberdoor 2120 for shielding the freezing chamber, and a refrigeratingchamber door 2140 for shielding the refrigerating chamber.

Door handles 2121 are provided at front surfaces of the freezing chamberdoor 2120 and refrigerating chamber door 2140 in such a manner that theyare forwardly protruded from the front surfaces. The user may readilygrasp the door handles 2121 to pivot the freezing chamber door 2120 andrefrigerating chamber door 2140.

On the other hand, a home bar 2180, for convenience, may further beprovided at the front surface of the refrigerating chamber door 2140 toenable the user to remove a food stored in the refrigerating chamber,such as a beverage, without opening the refrigerating chamber door 2140.

A dispenser 2160, for convenience, may further be provided at the frontsurface of the freezing chamber door 2120 to enable the user to easilytake out ice or water without opening the freezing chamber door 2120. Acontrol panel 2200 may be provided at an upper side of the dispenser2160 to control a driving operation of the refrigerator 2000 and displaythe state of the refrigerator 2000 in operation on a screen.

The control panel 2200 may include an input unit 2220 consisting of aplurality of buttons, and a display unit 2230 for displaying a controlpicture, an operating state, etc.

The display unit 2230 displays a control picture, an operating state,and information such as an internal temperature of the refrigerator. Forexample, the display unit 2230 may display a service type (cubed ice,water, crushed ice or the like) of the dispenser, a set temperature ofthe freezing chamber, and a set temperature of the refrigeratingchamber.

This display unit 2230 may be implemented in various forms including aliquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED) display, andan organic light emitting diode (OLED) display. Also, the display unit2230 may be implemented in the form of a touch screen that can alsoperform the function of the input unit 2220.

The input unit 2220 may include a plurality of manipulating buttons. Forexample, the input unit 2220 may include a dispenser setting button (notshown) for setting a service type (cubed ice, water, crushed ice or thelike) of the dispenser, a freezing chamber temperature setting button(not shown) for setting the temperature of the freezing chamber, and arefrigerating chamber temperature setting button (not shown) for settingthe temperature of the refrigerating chamber.

Here, it will be understood that the refrigerator according to thepresent embodiment is not limited to a double door type shown in FIG.17, but may be applied to any type including a one door type, a slidingdoor type, and a curtain door type.

FIG. 18 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of therefrigerator of FIG. 17.

Referring to FIG. 18, the refrigerator further includes, internally, awireless communication unit 2100, a controller 2310, a temperaturesensing unit 2320, a compressor 2112, a compressor driver 2113, arefrigerating chamber fan 2142, a refrigerating chamber fan driver 2143,a freezing chamber fan 2144, and a freezing chamber fan driver 2145.

The compressor 2112, compressor driver 2113, refrigerating chamber fan2142, refrigerating chamber fan driver 2143, freezing chamber fan 2144,freezing chamber fan driver 2145 and temperature sensing unit 2320generally operate for air conditioning within the refrigerating chamberor freezing chamber of the refrigerator, as well known in the art, and adescription thereof will thus be omitted.

The wireless communication unit 2100 transmits/receives data to/from themobile terminal 100.

The wireless communication unit 2100 transmits state information of therefrigerator, more particularly information about kinds, expirationdates and storage periods of foods stored in the refrigerator. Also, thewireless communication unit 2100 may transmit freezing chambertemperature information, refrigerating chamber temperature information,outdoor air temperature information, door opening/closing information,operation diagnosis information, error content information, etc.

Also, the wireless communication unit 2100 receives a refrigeratorcontrol signal from the mobile terminal 100. The refrigerator controlsignal may be, for example, a control signal for setting of arefrigerating chamber temperature, a freezing chamber temperature or thelike, which may correspond to the above-stated remote control item ofthe mobile terminal 100. Also, the wireless communication unit 2100 mayreceive refrigerator management software from the mobile terminal 100.

The controller 2310 controls the operation of the wireless communicationunit 2100. For example, the controller 2310 may control transmission ofstate information of the refrigerator including food relatedinformation, freezing chamber temperature information and refrigeratingchamber temperature information. Also, the controller 2310 may perform acontrol operation corresponding to a received refrigerator controlsignal. Meanwhile, in the case where refrigerator management software isreceived, the controller 2310 may perform upgrade based on the receivedrefrigerator management software.

In this manner, it is possible to simply and conveniently control therefrigerator using the mobile terminal 100.

On the other hand, the refrigerator may further include a camera unit(not shown) for acquiring images of foods stored in the refrigerator.The acquired images may be transmitted to the mobile terminal 100through the wireless communication unit 2100 together with correspondingfood information.

As is apparent from the above description, according to the presentinvention, it is possible to readily determine the state of arefrigerator using a mobile terminal. Also, it is possible to simplycontrol the refrigerator using the mobile terminal.

In detail, in order to know which foods there is a shortage of in therefrigerator at any place or time, it is possible to display informationabout foods stored in the refrigerator including kinds and freshnessdegrees of the stored foods using the mobile terminal.

Moreover, in the case where an error occurs in the refrigerator, themobile terminal may make a connection to a service center server in realtime to transmit refrigerator diagnosis data to the service centerserver, and display a service center connection state picture.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have beendisclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art willappreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions arepossible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the inventionas disclosed in the accompanying claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An operating method of a mobile terminalcomprising: receiving state information of a refrigerator from therefrigerator; displaying the state information of the refrigerator on adisplay screen; transmitting a control signal based on a controloperation to the refrigerator when a remote control item in arefrigerator management menu is selected; and displaying informationassociated with food stored in the refrigerator on the display screenwhen a food management item in the refrigerator management menu isselected, wherein the displaying food information includes displaying alist of time periods in a first area of the display screen anddisplaying one or more images of the food in a second area of thedisplay screen.
 2. The operating method according to claim 1, furthercomprising acquiring the images of the foods stored in the refrigerator,wherein the information associated with the food stored in therefrigerator is generated using the acquired food images.
 3. Theoperating method according to claim 1, further comprising displaying atleast one of freezing chamber temperature information, refrigeratingchamber temperature information, outdoor air temperature information,door opening/closing information, operation diagnosis information, errorcontent information, or a service call item when a monitoring item inthe refrigerator management menu is selected.
 4. The operating methodaccording to claim 1, further comprising, when a service call item inthe refrigerator management menu is selected, making a connection to aservice center server to transmit refrigerator diagnosis data to theservice center server and displaying a service center connection statepicture.
 5. The operating method according to claim 1, furthercomprising, when a software upgrade item in the refrigerator managementmenu is selected, upgrading refrigerator management software anddisplaying a software upgrade progress picture; and transmitting anduploading the upgraded refrigerator management software to therefrigerator.
 6. A mobile terminal for controlling a refrigerator, themobile terminal comprising: a wireless communication unit configured toreceive state information of a refrigerator and to transmit a controlsignal based on a control operation to the refrigerator when a remotecontrol item in a refrigerator management menu is selected; a displayconfigured to display the state information of the refrigerator; and acontroller configured to control the display to display informationassociated with food stored in the refrigerator on the display when afood management item in the refrigerator management menu is selected,wherein when the food information is displayed, the display displays alist of time periods in a first area of the display and displays one ormore food images in a second area of the display.
 7. The mobile terminalaccording to claim 6, further comprising a camera configured to acquireimages of the foods stored in the refrigerator, wherein the controllergenerates the food information using the acquired food images.
 8. Themobile terminal according to claim 6, wherein the controller controlsthe display to display the refrigerator management menu, therefrigerator management menu comprising at least one of the foodmanagement item, a monitoring item, a software upgrade item, or theremote control item.
 9. The operating method according to claim 1,wherein the displaying food information further includes, when any oneof the food images in the second area of the display screen is selected,displaying the selected food image and a food information associatedwith the selected food image, wherein the food information includes oneor more of a name, current date, storage date, elapsed period,expiration date, or barcode information.
 10. The operating methodaccording to claim 1, wherein when a time period item in the list oftime periods is selected, one or more food images corresponding to theselected time period item is displayed.
 11. The operating methodaccording to claim 1, further comprising: if any one of the food imagesin the second area of the display screen is selected, displaying theselected food image, a food information associated with the selectedfood image, and a delete button; and when the delete button is selected,deleting the food information associated with the selected food image.12. The operating method according to claim 1, wherein the list of timeperiods includes a list of storage periods and a list of effectiveperiods, and wherein displaying one or more food images in the secondarea includes displaying one or more food images according to thestorage periods or the effective periods.
 13. The operating methodaccording to claim 1, further comprising: capturing an image of a foodto be stored in a refrigerator through a camera module; and storing thecaptured image, wherein the food image includes the captured image. 14.The operating method according to claim 1, further comprising arranginga plurality of foods in the order of expiration date or storage period,wherein the displaying food information includes displaying the list oftime periods in the first area and displaying one or more food imagesarranged according to a prescribed time period in the second area. 15.The mobile terminal according to claim 6, wherein when a time perioditem in the list of time periods is selected, the display displays theselected food image and food information associated with the selectedfood image, wherein the food information includes one or more of a name,current date, storage date, elapsed period, expiration date, or barcodeinformation.
 16. The mobile terminal according to claim 6, wherein, whenany one of the food images in the second area is selected, thecontroller controls the display to display the selected food image, afood information concerning the selected food image, and a deletebutton, and wherein, when the delete button is selected, the controllerdeletes the food information concerning the selected food image.
 17. Themobile terminal according to claim 6, wherein the controller arranges aplurality of foods in order according to an expiration date or storageperiod, the display displays the list of time periods on the first areaand displays one or more food images arranged according to a prescribedtime period in the second area.